In this week’s “For Your Renting Pleasure” I went with one film that follows those that uphold the law with End of Watch, and one film about those who break it with Hit & Run. Criminals were right, they have more fun. [Read more...]
For Your Renting Pleasure
03/20/2013 by Leave a Comment
The Source Code: The Ending and Other Thoughts
04/25/2011 by 4 Comments
I’m not sure who sees hit movies in the theater even later than I do… maybe people with two kids. But, believe it or not, when I talk about the ending of The Source Code, it may give away the ending. Shocking, I know.
I didn’t expect to become enthralled by The Source Code. Not after watching that explosion-ridden preview 100 times during basketball games. But, the film had an intelligence and an emotional core that its trailer failed to convey. This depth can be plainly seen by the long analysis that Zac and Lauren gave the film. But because I became so invigorated by the film, it was even more disappointing when it developed a stereotypical Hollywood ending. The Source Code until the last couple minutes was a very good unconventional film, with very solid acting, directing, and writing. But, a film’s ending consistently seems to be the hardest part to create. Hell, even geniuses like Monty Python had trouble with it!
Dissecting Source Code
04/04/2011 by Leave a Comment
Lauren: Though it isn’t as open to interpretation as Sucker Punch was last week, I felt myself needing a little bit of an explanation when leaving the viewing of Source Code. That’s right! It’s time for another dissection of a film. Since I am coming more so from the mindset of “huh?” this time around I will most likely be playing the part of the sounding board while Zac says something intellectually profound, to which I will again respond “huh?” Try not to judge me too harshly.
Oh, and SPOILERS TO FOLLOW! [Read more...]
Review: Source Code
04/03/2011 by Leave a Comment
Source Code is a fun and gripping ride that will throw some in the end but after some mulling over I think the film works in almost every capacity.
The film is a sci-fi picture that presupposes that the government has created a program, called source code, which will allow them to send someone into the last 8 minutes of the recently deceased life. I am sure you could imagine a lot of scenarios they could use this for but the government is using it to attempt to stop terrorism. A train has blown up on its way to Chicago and is a warning for a planned attack on the city as a whole. The government uses source code to send in Captain Colter Stevens to attempt to find any clues that will allow them to find out who is behind the train and future terrorist attacks. The catch is that Stevens is sent into the body of the person they are using the source code on and he must deal with anything going on surrounding him on the train. In this instance it is a girl, Christina, who becomes both an obstacle and a distraction for Stevens as he tries to find the bomber.
Now Playing Review – Source Code
04/01/2011 by Leave a Comment
For the second week in a row I find myself at a loss for words upon seeing the week’s big film. The difference between this and Sucker Punch is that I had much more initial pleasantries to say about Source Code, albeit I was just as dumbfounded. Looks like it’s another job for my thinking cap.
The film continues the wave of interesting concept films of Inception and The Adjustment Bureau, choosing to play with time and memories. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Captain Colter Stevens, a soldier who wakes up in the body of another man seated on a doomed train. As the train explodes his mind moves back to his body safely contained in a different location, where he is reminded of his mission. Long story short it is his job to relive the last 8 minutes on the train prior to the explosion, hoping to find some clue that will prevent a second attack on the nearby city of Chicago. [Read more...]
Review: Love and Other Drugs
11/24/2010 by Leave a Comment
Love and Other Drugs is the latest from Ed Zwick and features a couple of great lead performances in a story that does a lot of things well but has a hard time finding a narrative through line.
Zwick is a history buff and likes to blend fiction with facts and this is another example of that approach; only this time it is not an action film but a raw romantic comedy as his template. The history surrounding our story is the pharmaceutical industry in the late 90’s and a certain little blue pill that changed the industry. Following an up and coming phrama rep, Jamie Randall, who has a long list of jobs never quite living up to his potential he finds his stride selling drugs to doctors. While trying to swoon one doctor, Jamie, meets a girl, Maggie, with Parkinson’s and the two, of course, begin to fall for each other. Their rode is not an easy one though and they find sex is the thing that comes easiest to the two of them.
Now Playing Review – Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
06/01/2010 by Leave a Comment
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time may not be the most faithful adaptation, but it still keeps the spirit of the video game alive in this production in its representation of the comedy, characters, and action of the fan favorite game.
The brief backstory of this incarnation of the Sands of Time story starts with an incident on the streets that leads to Daston being adopted into the royal family. A decade later he is beloved by his father and both of his brothers, and because of this he plays his part in his brother’s decision to attack the holy city of Alamut though he has some reservations in concern to this decision. The sand is briefly allowed to settle following the battle before an incident occurs forcing Daston to flee from the city with the help of Princess Tamina. Though it would be nice to think that she is simply committing her good deed of the day, she is quick to reveal her ulterior motives for helping in the escape. [Read more...]
Review: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
05/28/2010 by Leave a Comment
This could be the best video game adaptation yet, certainly the best looking, but it still feels all too clichéd and familiar even though the action is pretty exciting at times and there is a lot of it.
The film follows Dastan, a street urchin plucked into royalty after the king sees him perform a selfless act in the local market as a child. Flash forward ten years and Dastan and his two brothers, Tus and Garsiv, through adoption are about to lay siege to a holy city in Persia. Their uncle, Nizam, advises the future king Tus to attack at the behest of Dastan and the siege results in Dastan coming into possession of a beautiful dagger that is revealed to have mysterious powers. After a series of unfortunate events Dastan ends up on the run with the holy cities high priestess, Tamina.
Review: Zodiac: Directors Cut
01/18/2008 by Leave a Comment
David Fincher’s latest is a crime masterpiece and leads us on a history lesson through the obsessive lives these crimes forced these men into.
Zodiac was sold as a creepy serial killer film filled with horror murders to the public, and while it does contain all of those aspects, there isn’t a murder after the first 45 minutes of the film. Some people were left scratching there head and had no idea what they were getting into, a procedural drama carrying us through the painstaking search for the killer by a number of individuals. [Read more...]
